Moving from Safari to Challenger.thoughts?

garvan04, Aug 1, 7:56am
I'm driving a good old 1993 4.2L diesel Safari. but my wife hates driving it. so every now and then I look at trading it for something smarter. I saw a 2010 Mitsi Challenger today at Turners. Looked tidy, 2.5 T Deisel. I've never thought of owning one before but its actually a big truck and looks capable of getting away hunting with some MT tyres. (I spend a bit of time up the Dobson Valley)
Anyone owned or driven one?. comments appreciated. I've read a few web reports but they `re a mixed bag.
bagal, Aug 1, 8:31am
Essentially a station wagon version of the Triton. Won't be as tough or capable as the Safari. Will be interested in other comments as thinking of one also, or the Ford Everest when it comes out.
brapbrap8, Aug 1, 10:25am
Good 4wd system in the Mitsis, can be left in permanent 4wd which is nice in the wet and when going on and off roads a lot.
In manual form it will go well, I am not such a fan of the auto as it is less powerful and uses a bit more gas, still way better on fuel than a Safari though!

Bagal,
The Challenger is a different sort of thing to the Ford Everest, it is about half the price and aimed and is a more basic vehicle than the Everest which is a luxury SUV.
2sheddies, Aug 1, 10:33am
Seen a few of those Everests being given a right pounding on that Dangerous Roads programme. They seem to hold up well, whereas most 'luxury' models are useless off road. Looks like it's basically a wagon version of a Ranger ute.

I think the Challenger has a better 2.8 diesel rather than the older 2.5 4D56. a motor thats best avoided.
unclejake, Aug 1, 12:06pm
I've driven a few of the earlier Challengers and I hated the way they pitched. I thought the first one was faulty, but I test drove another one several years later and the same thing. They have a horrible pitch motion on the open road that tends slightly towards yaw mid corner. Dunno why

Having said that: My current wife hated being in, or driving, my Patrol - so I get your issue
morrisman1, Aug 1, 8:58pm
you're upgrading the wrong half of the problem.
bagal, Aug 1, 11:29pm
Bagal,
The Challenger is a different sort of thing to the Ford Everest, it is about half the price and aimed and is a more basic vehicle than the Everest which is a luxury SUV.[/quote]

The Everest is the same type of vehicle as the Challenger in the sense that it is based on the Ranger utility and the Challenger is based on the Triton utility.
brapbrap8, Aug 2, 12:09am
Very different price and target market though.
tamarillo, Aug 2, 1:18am
If you're used to the safari I can't imagine the challengers handling would be any problem to you. It's based on triton ute and I do recall that pitch a poster mentioned, but get that in most high ride machines of that era. It's just weight up high with basic suspension.
Someone mentioned lack of undercoating of body panels in tritons causing rust, though you don't see rusty ones on road
Maybe challenger is a smaller, handier, Safari. Sounds like what you need.
Though if Nissan has served you well what about the smaller Nissan of that era? Pathfinder and x trail?
franc123, Aug 2, 1:44am
Pathfinder and Xtrail are toys, I'd be keeping the Safari and trading the wife.
stevo6898, Aug 2, 2:55am
The safari world be a far superior work horse.
bobwyn, Aug 3, 4:21am
I had a 96 safari 4.2 diesel turbo it was a great wagon nobody ever says anything about the later 3.0 turbo ones are they any good as they stayed with them for a while before going to v8 petrol and did the bring any patrols out with that motor they had in the 550 navara think it was a v6 diesel?
unclejake, Aug 3, 10:14am
The earlier (pre 2006 for NZ?) 3.0 motors in the Patrols were terrible as they had insufficient piston crown cooling.

Nissan used to supply a "Repair kit" for them, which included a block, four conrods and four pistons
mono3, Nov 15, 10:19am
A family members challager went knock,knock at about 50,000 kms about 2010 model ,didnt service it after 10,000, bet your socks off the nissan would handle that